Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40159495›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2025

The influence of tobacco use, hazardous drinking, and other risk factors on HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer risk and screening perceptions among gay and bisexual men: a cross-sectional study.

I Niles Zoschke, Sarah L Bennis, Yi Tang, J Michael Wilkerson, Cynthia L Stull, Alan G Nyitray, Samir S Khariwala, C Mark Nichols, B R Simon Rosser, Charlene A Flash and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

I Niles ZoschkeAlcohol Research Group, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, US. nzoschke@arg.org.
Sarah L BennisDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Yi TangDepartment of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
J Michael WilkersonDepartment of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Cynthia L StullDepartment of Primary Dental Care, School of Dentistry, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Alan G NyitrayCancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Samir S KhariwalaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
C Mark NicholsAlcohol Research Group, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, US.
B R Simon RosserDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Charlene A Flash, Avenue 360 Health and Wellness, Houston, TX, USA.
Michael W RossDepartment of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Funding

HPV Oropharyngeal cancer and screening in Gay and Bisexual MenR01CA253244 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI ROSS, MICHAEL W · 2020 to 2022
$1.3M
NCI NIH HHS 1R01CA253244-02NCI NIH HHS R01 CA253244
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOropharyngeal cancer is the eighth most common cancer among US men and its incidence is sharply rising. Oropharyngeal cancer manifests in two major ways: the classic form is prevalent among people who use alcohol and tobacco heavily, while a growing subset of incident cases is associated with human papillomavirus-16 (HPV) and transmitted via oral sex. Gay and bisexual men appear at higher risk for each etiologic subset of oropharyngeal cancer than heterosexual men. We conducted a cross-sectional study to learn how tobacco use, hazardous drinking, and other key risk factors affect gay and bisexual men's perceptions of oropharyngeal cancer risk and beliefs about screening at a doctor's office and self-screening at home.

methodsWe recruited 1,699 gay and bisexual men from two dating websites to participate in an online survey. We asked about tobacco use, alcohol consumption, sexual history, and other risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer. The survey also investigated participants' perceptions of oropharyngeal cancer risk and potential worry related to screening. We analyzed results at the bivariate level and in multivariable regression models. We used logistic regression to analyze categorical data and linear regression to analyze continuous data.

resultsAverage age of participants was 41.5 (SD = 12.7) years. Most were cisgender (95%), and identified as gay (80%), while 19% were bisexual or pansexual, with 2% reporting being queer or a self-described sexuality. Factors associated with high perceived oropharyngeal cancer risk perceptions were cigarette smoking, using both cigarettes and vaping, being gay identified, number of sexual partners in the last 12 months, and having poor mouth/teeth condition. Factors associated with oropharyngeal cancer screening worry were being Hispanic, having queer/self-described sexuality, not having health insurance, and having poor mouth/teeth condition. No factors were associated with self-screening at home. Alcohol use was not associated with oropharyngeal cancer risk perception.

conclusionsThis study examines oropharyngeal cancer risk perceptions among gay and bisexual men. Health promotion efforts to reduce oropharyngeal cancer risk among gay and bisexual men should involve comprehensive oral health, sexual health, and tobacco use education. Researchers should continue investigating acceptable and effective home self-screening methods for HPV-associated cancers.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingBisexualityEarly Detection of CancerHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHomosexuality, MaleOropharyngeal NeoplasmsPapillomavirus InfectionsSexual and Gender MinoritiesTobacco UseAdultCross-Sectional StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsAlcohol useCigarette smokingGayHealth educationHPVLGBTQMen who have sex with menOral healthOral sexOropharyngeal cancerVaping

Identifiers

PMID40159495
PMCPMC11955142

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.